Dear Sakura

 Darlest Before the Dawn

 by Amazoness Duo and G.P.

 amazonessduo@hotmail.com

 pearsong1954@yahoo.com

 

 	Like a dolphin emerging from crystal blue water, Sakura exited a

 small changing room with her usual energetic spirit. She smiled

 beautifully into the camcorder capturing her image, looking only

 mildly embarrassed. Her cheeks reddened ever so slightly as she

 twirled with all of the grace that years of athletics had granted

 her, her pumpkin colored pleated skirt twirling with her. Like a

 professional dancer, her movement was smooth and captivating. The

 camera angle remained constant, a memory frozen in time. Sakura

 paused at last, smiling once again into the camera. Diamond tears

 sparkled nearly imperceptibly at the corners of her emerald eyes.

 After curtsying cutely, the brunette excused herself back into the

 cramped changing room. The camcorder fell to the side as its owner

 hurried near the small room concernedly. It had only been for a brief

 second, possibly nothing more than a trick of the mind. But if there

 was a single thing that Tomoyo could claim to be an expert in, it was

 the usually genki brunette on the other end of the door.

 	“Sakura-chan, are you all right?” the camcorder’s owner asked

 worriedly, only a short distance from the door that separated them.

 Pale fingers moved in front of the camera’s line of sight, touching

 briefly on the wood frame, wishing that she could dismiss it to get

 to the girl inside. No, the woman inside. They weren’t children

 anymore. And she was no longer the one to share in Sakura’s feelings.

 If Sakura didn’t wish to tell her, then she had no right to pry.

 	“Hai,” a shaky voice replied from inside, one obviously trying to

 cover recent tears. “I’ll be out in just a minute.”

 	

 	With a touch of a button, the images before her dispersed into

 darkness. Tomoyo sat in her dimly lit room, still staring at the now

 blank screen that had held the vision of her darling Sakura. It was

 from one of her last tapes, one she had taken during her trip to Hong

 Kong. And one of the most disturbing. What had gotten to Sakura? What

 had brought her sudden tears? It had only been the second day of

 Tomoyo’s visit and they had spent many hours talking the night before

 so it could very well have been a mixture of sleep deprivation and

 the shock of finally being with her best friend again. But Tomoyo had

 slowly begun to suspect something else as the cause of the tears. It

 had to do with her videotaping Sakura again, of that she was certain.

 Sakura had always been embarrassed when she would videotape her, but

 this time there had been something else as well. Almost a sense of

 relief from the gorgeous brunette, as if she was glad to be the focus

 of Tomoyo’s camcorder once more. The tears had looked so sad, so

 lonely. It tore at Tomoyo’s heart to know that they had to grace the

 Cardmistress at all. So what did this mean? On it’s own, perhaps

 nothing. But adding to it what had happened since and the sense of

 longing that had been present in Sakura’s letters as of late, Tomoyo

 could begin to make assumptions. She was on the verge of ruining

 Sakura’s life. And she had to jump ship before that happened or she

 would drag Sakura under with her. 

 	Sakura’s understanding of her feelings for Tomoyo had always been

 simple. Tomoyo was a good friend, someone she could trust with

 anything, someone she could always count on, someone who would always

 be there for her. In a way, she had never really seen Tomoyo. She

 hadn’t looked at her, seen her for who she really was. Tomoyo had

 always been behind the camera, and because of it, Sakura had never

 truly understood her eccentric best friend or the feelings that went

 along with her. But now it looked like Sakura was dangerously close

 to understanding those feelings in an entirely new light. Tomoyo had

 been dragged out from behind the camera by Sakura and could no longer

 hide. Sakura had finally seen Tomoyo, had finally really looked at

 her. That thought was deliciously exiting to Tomoyo, but it also set

 her on the verge of tears because she knew what deeper meaning it

 held. If Sakura began to see the love Tomoyo had held for her all

 these years, or worse, in some way returned these feelings, it would

 ruin her beautiful marriage and the wonderful new life she had begun.

 She would never be able to simply reject Tomoyo. Sakura could never

 bear to hurt her like that. It would slowly tear apart everything

 Tomoyo had prayed for in Sakura’s life. And so Tomoyo had decided

 long ago that it was best not to tell Sakura, that despite that

 promise from years long past, she would not explain to Sakura when

 they were older. It would only burden the brunette and cause

 difficulty for her, even more so now that she was married. 

 	Darkness surrounded Tomoyo, deep and all encompassing. She honestly

 didn’t know whether or not her eyes were open, only that they stung

 with fresh tears. A huge dilemma lay before her, and it had taken all

 of her strength to try and come to a decision. Her heart and soul

 argued over which course of action to take, about where her path

 should take her. For a time, she had found it nearly impossible, lost

 in the possibilities, surrounded by bittersweet memories that

 beckoned her to join them. Slowly, shakily, she had reached out and

 finally grasped onto her decision. Now all that was left was to see

 it through to the end. In the end, it came down to the most important

 thing in her life: Sakura’s happiness. And Tomoyo would gladly die

 for it. She would suffer whatever was necessary to safeguard the

 happiness of the one she loved. 

 But this was the most difficult thing she had ever done in her life.

 Helping to get Sakura with Syaoran in the first place had offered her

 a momentary distraction from the depth of her own feelings, allowing

 her to concentrate on Sakura’s best interests alone. The marriage had

 been incredibly painful for her, but it had been tinged with the

 knowledge that Sakura would be embarking on a new life with the one

 she loved, and that had eased her pain. But this offered no solace.

 There was no escape from the pain this time. She merely knew that it

 had to be done. For Sakura’s sake, and for her own. Her gingerly

 crafted masks were beginning to betray her. Cracks had begun to

 spiderweb through her many masks after her recent contact with

 Sakura. They were slowly becoming undone right in front of her eyes.

 When Sakura had seen her, had actually looked at the girl that hid

 behind the normally smiling portrait of Tomoyo Daidouji, the masks

 she had hidden herself behind had slowly but surely begun to shatter,

 leaving her defenseless to the unbridled passion of her own love and

 unable to hide it from Sakura’s curious eyes. She could no longer

 handle the pain of watching the woman she loved happily married.

 Sakura’s happiness meant the world to her, but watching Sakura’s

 marriage was beginning to take its toll on the pale ghost of a woman.

 How could she have fooled herself into thinking she could sit by and

 watch it? Had she really thought she could quell the feelings in her

 own heart? It would have been easier to still her heart from beating

 than to keep the love inside at bay. She had been a fool to think

 that her masks would be able to hide her from the pain, to think that

 she could remain simply Sakura’s friend in a far off land as Sakura’s

 new life took her further and further away. Not just physical

 distance either. The dark haired girl was simply no longer necessary.

 At one point in time, Sakura had always come to her no matter what

 the circumstances. She had trusted Tomoyo with her fragile heart and

 Tomoyo had done her best to take good care of it, trying to set it on

 the right path. But now she had another to go to when she ever wanted

 for something. Her husband was now the most important person in

 Sakura’s life. Even then, Sakura still came to Tomoyo with surprising

 frequency. It was yet another reason for Tomoyo’s decision. She was

 standing in the way of Sakura’s marriage. She was an unnecessary link

 to Sakura’s past, holding the brunette back in the face of her own

 marriage. Syaoran was the one she should go to now. He was the one

 that should share her pain and heal her heart. It was no longer

 Tomoyo’s right to do so. 

 Walking through the nearly pitch black room, Tomoyo hardly noticed

 the fire that shot through her hip as she struck something in the

 dark while walking. Ignoring it, the pale girl moved forward through

 the shadows. Had anyone seen her then, they may very well have

 mistaken her for a phantom, her pale features and tear streaked face

 appearing almost translucent in the dim moonlight. Her room,

 practically a shrine to her darling Sakura, now felt more like a

 tomb. Her delicate hands finally found what she was searching for,

 settling on the desk that had served her so well in the past. Whether

 making costumes, labeling videotapes, or simply practicing for choir,

 it had been a patient companion. These days, there were no more

 costumes to be made, no more videotapes to label, and no more choir

 to practice for. It held several slips of paper and a picture frame

 on it vast expanses.

 Collapsing weakly into the chair, Tomoyo burst into fresh tears,

 sobbing quietly in the darkness as she was assaulted by a fresh wave

 of agony. Was this the only way? Could she possibly find another

 solution? No, this was her last option. She had to go through with

 it. She couldn’t risk Sakura’s future any longer through her own

 selfishness. If she truly loved the other woman, she would have to

 see this through. That finally slowed her aching sobs, though it did

 nothing for her shredded heart. With intentional care, Tomoyo slowly

 continued to write the address on the envelope that lay before her,

 concentrating as best she could on each and every character. Sakura

 had told her that her writing was beautiful. She had to make sure

 that it was lovely for Sakura’s sake. Because Sakura deserved no less

 and she needed to make sure that Sakura didn’t think anything was

 wrong. If she was going to succeed, then she had to make sure that

 the letter didn’t worry her dear friend.

 Memories are such fragile things. They lay tentatively on the edge

 of one’s mind. Sometimes they would fade to protect their owner.

 Other times, time itself would take its toll on them, wearing them

 down into nothing. But there was something that existed beyond

 memories, not simply the images and feelings that were conjured about

 things from the past, but a deeper flame that could never be

 extinguished. Memories of the heart. Tomoyo knew that she could never

 forget Sakura, that the love in her heart would never fade away. But

 in many ways, that made it so much harder to continue forward. Even

 then, she would never want any of it to disappear. Her tapes of

 Sakura left her with a wonderful look back at the past, crystalline

 moments that she could treasure. They were an extensive documentary

 on the beautiful brunette spanning nine glorious years. Tomoyo was

 only sorry that they had to end now. She watched her tapes over and

 over, reliving the time spent with her beloved Sakura. And for an all

 too brief moment, they would be together again. 

 Picking up an old costume design that she had never finished, Tomoyo

 began to write on the back, the words gushing forth as a dam inside

 of her finally burst open.

 

 ‘Dear Sakura-chan,

 As I sit here writing this, I see your beautiful face in my mind’s

 eye, your sweet smile sending ripples throughout the stormy ocean of

 my soul. I know that you may hate me for this, and though I could

 hardly bear the thought of you ever hating me, I know that I must go

 through with this. I’m not sure if I can explain why, but it doesn’t

 really matter. Please know that you have always been the most

 treasured thing in my life. I would never wish to hurt you. That’s

 why I have to say goodbye.

 Our time together in Hong Kong was like a gorgeous dream that I

 never wished to wake up from. Even though I must finally awaken, I

 will carry that dream with me always. Being with you was more magical

 than any of the Cards you have in your possession. Your true power

 doesn’t come from your magic or the Sakura Cards. It comes from the

 indomitable force in your heart. That power has always pushed you

 forward in life, and I was happy to be pulled along in its wake.

 Nurturing it and helping it grow inside of you always brought a smile

 to my lips. But now you have outgrown me. You no longer need my

 helpful hand in the way. Like a mother watching her child venture out

 into the world, it’s time that I let you go forth on your own. Please

 don’t worry. I know that you must be thinking it isn’t so, that

 there’s still some use for me. But I have seen you grow and mature

 into a beautiful woman. Strong, confident, courageous. Sweet,

 innocent, gentle. All of the qualities that so enamored me with you

 for all of these years. You no longer need my love and support to go

 forward. These are now within your own heart. When you need that

 extra bit of love and encouragement, I know you will be able to find

 it in your husband. So though tears dot this letter, please know that

 I leave you in capable hands. I have always trusted you with all my

 heart. I know that wherever your path in life leads, you will be able

 to handle the roads ahead with ease. Nothing can hold back the lovely

 and unstoppable Sakura-chan!

 I know that I promised you long ago that I would explain what I

 meant about the differences in our love when you were older. I’m

 sorry that I never did. I thought that it would only interfere with

 your life, with your feelings for Syaoran. I knew that you wouldn’t

 be able to reject me outright. Your heart is too kind for that. And

 in doing so, you may have ruined your chances at the marriage you now

 find yourself in. So I will explain right here, where there is no

 fear of the rejection you wouldn’t have put me through or the damage

 it could have caused. All is already said and done, so this is merely

 an afterthought, an explanation so perhaps you may understand your

 best friend a little better and why I acted the way I did for all of

 the years you’ve known me. Years ago, you were only a child of ten at

 the time, I told you that I loved you. You said that you loved me,

 too. It was so cute to hear you say that. You always were an

 extremely sweet girl, Sakura-chan. My heart swelled to hear your

 words, even though I knew you didn’t understand what I meant. I told

 you that our love was different, that I would explain when you were

 older. I’m sorry for taking so long to deliver my promise to you.

 Love is such a vast and varied thing. There are so many depths and

 intricacies that sometimes make it almost impossible to discern. I

 know that you yourself have had difficulty understanding the

 different forms of love in the past. Our love is very different from

 each other’s love. You love Syaoran as your prince, your one True

 Love, as your other half. You love me as your friend, your confidant,

 and as a sister. I love you as my prince, my one True Love, my other

 half. That is why I always wanted you to know how much I cared about

 you, why I tried to show my love for you in everything I did, even if

 you loved another. You are my special someone, Sakura-chan, the one

 who captured my heart so long ago. Videotaping you, designing

 costumes for you, even simply watching you filled my heart with joy.

 Love can be an extremely strong force and it has had me in its grasp

 for quite a long time now. I am lost to it, but I would never wish to

 be found if it meant giving up the warmth and delight that it offers

 me. Being in love with you has always been my fondest wish come true.

 To love someone so charming, so enchanting, is something that most

 people can only dream about. The way I looked at you, the way I

 fawned over you, it was always with love in my eyes. It never once

 mattered to me that you were a girl, though I know you didn’t

 understand such things with the puzzled look you gave me when I tried

 to explain my mother’s preferences. Sakura-chan is Sakura-chan.

 Brave, beautiful, generous, genki. I love you for who you are. I

 would never want to change you in the least. Images of you fill my

 mind, swirling like pictures in a kaleidoscope. I love you, Sakura-

 chan.

 Everyone loved Sakura-chan, so I was not at all surprised that

 someone else would eventually win your heart. I told you that I

 wanted my special someone to be happy even if they couldn’t be with

 me and I meant that. Your happiness means everything to me. If you

 truly love someone, if your heart belongs completely to them, then

 their happiness is truly your heart’s desire. Because you want the

 person you love to be filled with joy, to live a life that will be

 thrilling and fulfilling to them. I told you that I would be happy if

 my special someone returned my feelings, but that their happiness was

 what I wanted above all else. And that’s exactly how I feel. If you

 could be happier with someone else, if someone else could bring out

 the love in your heart, then that’s what I wanted for you. Even

 mother feels this way, though she doesn’t entirely understand it.

 When you were here, she explained that your father made your mother

 happy. Mother has strong feelings against your father because he took

 Nadeshiko-san away from her, but when she looks at you, she truly

 knows that Nadeshiko-san was happy and that calms her spirits.

 Because she loved Nadeshiko-san as much as I love you. Which is why I

 know she understands my feelings for you. What she didn’t understand

 is why I tried to push you towards Li-kun. I don’t know if you

 understand that or not, so I will try to explain. I wanted you to be

 happy above all else. I wanted you to fall in love with your prince,

 to have a happy marriage, to have beautiful children, to live your

 life to the fullest. I could tell that Li-kun was falling in love

 with you and that the two of you got along very well. You really were

 cute together. I wanted him to tell you and I tried to help him

 along, to get him to express his feelings to you. I know it wasn’t

 fair that I told him to tell you his feelings while I was silent

 about my own, but I thought that you could be happy with him. I

 thought he could be your one true love. As Kero-chan has said before,

 there’s no such thing as coincidence. He was your partner, your

 helper in Cardcapting. He protected you and was there alongside you

 while I was hidden away behind a camera, watching it all happen. He

 could give you a child, protect you, and love you. I thought that you

 felt something for him as well, so I tried my hardest to help the two

 of you along. My goal was to see Sakura-chan happily in love. I’m

 glad that I managed to help see that come to pass. Perhaps that was

 my part in Clow Reed’s grand plan, to help your heart grow and mature

 and to find the love you so deserved. You’re now the most powerful

 magician on the planet with a loving husband and an exciting new

 life. That makes me happy. I knew my wonderful Sakura-chan could

 accomplish anything.

 So now I must fade away from your life, my mission finally complete.

 Please know that I will always love you, Sakura-chan. That love will

 never fade. I will always be by your side, my heart and soul yours to

 command. They will always offer you their love and support. Please

 don’t cry for me. It makes me sad when Sakura-chan’s sad. Please

 smile and greet the new day knowing that your best friend got her

 dearest wish in just watching you. As long as you’re happy, I will

 be, too. Thank you so much for being my best friend, for letting me

 into your life. Leaving it is the hardest thing I have ever done, but

 I do so content in the knowledge that my sweet Sakura-chan is well

 taken care of.

 

 Farewell,

 Daidouji Tomoyo

 

 I’ll miss you so much, Sakura-chan.’

 

 	

 	Stars sprinkled into Tomoyo’s room with barely visible pinpricks of

 light, vaguely illuminating the half finished costume design on the

 paper she had used to write her letter to Sakura. “Sakura-chan...”

 her broken voice choked out, another sob wracking her small body. Her

 hands went to her face, dark hair draping around her like a death

 shroud as strangled sobs escaped her lips. Her heart felt like broken

 glass, an antique accidentally knocked off a table by an overzealous

 child, unsalvageable except for several jagged fragments. Despair

 brushed its fingers through her hair, bringing its chilling shadow

 across her heart. “Sakura-chan...” she whimpered again, tears falling

 unheeded to the desk and the letter it held. What was she to do? How

 could she live without Sakura? A midnight black thought entered her

 mind in reply; how could she live her life with Sakura? She was close

 to shattering completely, the cracks in her façade already becoming

 evident. If she stayed in Sakura’s life, watched her love in her new

 life and marriage, it would undoubtedly kill her. She hadn’t

 understood how painful it would be as a child, hope still clinging

 desperately to her heart at the time. ‘I knew that Sakura-chan would

 come and rescue me,’ she had once said. No, this wasn’t her fairy

 tale. It was Sakura’s. Which is why she had to leave it so that

 Sakura could have her fairy tale ending and live happily ever after.

 No matter how much it hurt her to do so, she had to go through with

 it.  For Sakura to live, she had to die. Her stormy blue eyes fought

 back another wave of tears as her body shook painfully. Her heart

 ached for Sakura, images of the brunette appearing vividly in her

 mind. “Don’t you make me happy,” her musical voice got out weakly

 before it broke. 

 	Numb fingers reached out slowly, grasping the letter in shaking

 hands. “No... I can’t send this to Sakura-chan. I can’t send this to

 her,” her gentle voice, no more than a whisper, seemed to disappear

 before it even reached the young heiress’s ears. She held it up in

 the dim light, barely able to make out the picture of Sakura in a

 costume or the painstakingly crafted characters in her letter. It was

 too sad. It would worry Sakura. She had to fade away from Sakura’s

 life painlessly, leaving the brunette as simply as a dream that

 disappeared when one tried to recall it. She held the letter tightly

 to her chest as she choked back another sob. Leaving the now crumpled

 letter on the side of her desk, Tomoyo pulled out a fresh piece of

 paper and began to start all over again. 

 	The thought that she would never see Sakura again cut into her

 heart like a knife, each breath burning her further. She had known

 this time would come for years now, but now that it was finally

 happening, its crushing weight made any step forward seem impossible.

 “I’ll never forget you, Sakura-chan,” she whispered, placing a soft

 kiss on a picture frame that graced her desk. The picture of Sakura

 smiled back happily, frozen forever in her expression of joy. With a

 swift movement that almost scared Tomoyo, she shattered the picture

 frame against the side of the desk. Glass fell quietly to the carpet,

 Sakura’s picture fluttering free to lay atop them. Tomoyo reached

 down, picking up the memory from years long past. She set it gingerly

 on the desk, her fingers trailing Sakura’s features in the

 photograph. How she wished she could step into the picture, to turn

 back all these years so she could spend them with Sakura once more.

 Even if things had to turn out this way, she would love to spend even

 one slim moment with Sakura before she slipped away forever. Her hand

 reached down again, picking up the biggest shard of glass off of the

 floor. She barely noticed as it cut into her palm, the warm blood

 trickling out over it seeming to be nothing more than a daydream. She

 had to leave Sakura’s life, she knew that. But how could she just

 tell Sakura that she was leaving her? How could she possibly write

 Sakura a farewell letter? The warmth of her blood slipping through

 her fingers felt so much nicer than the bitter cold that was wrapped

 tightly around her heart. She had to escape Sakura’s life for both of

 their sakes. She had to. Shaky fingers clutched the shard of glass

 tighter, it’s sharp edge driving deeper into the soft flesh of her

 hand. “Sakura-chan...” she whispered miserably. She couldn’t write

 the letter. She could never tell Sakura goodbye like that. It was too

 painful. She would just escape Sakura’s life now. It would be less

 painful for them both that way. Sakura would forget about her soon

 enough. She would be able to watch Sakura as her guardian angel,

 could keep an eye on her beautiful life from up above. 

 	“Forgive me, Sakura-chan. Please forgive me. I love you so much.”

 Her stormy blue eyes shut tightly, Tomoyo brought the jagged glass to

 her wrist and concentrated on the brunette as she felt the wet shard

 press against soft skin. Tendrils of darkness and despair snaked out,

 wrapping tightly around her heart. This was the only way. Sakura

 would wake up from her dream named Tomoyo soon enough. And she would

 be happy in her new life. If she didn’t do this, Sakura’s beautiful

 life would come tumbling down, crushing the girl that Tomoyo loved so

 dearly. Her pain was almost over. Just another few minutes...

 	The shard of glass fell silently to the floor, a small trail of

 blood following it. Some crimson ran down Tomoyo’s wrist, pooling on

 her desktop. Her head slumped to the desk as she began to cry again.

 She couldn’t. Not yet. The thought of her mother finding her, cold

 and dead had hit her like a shockwave. She couldn’t put her mother

 through that. Sonomi had already lost so much. That would be terribly

 cruel to her loving mother. Even worse, the knowledge that Sonomi

 would call Sakura to the funeral sent a terrible chill through her.

 She wanted to die to protect Sakura, to escape this pain, but that

 would only serve to hurt Sakura even more. No, she had to wait. She

 would be moving out in several days. She would go someplace far away

 and disappear from Sakura’s life forever. 

 

 	“So there you are, Tomoyo-chan. I was beginning to think you’d

 fallen asleep in front of another of your videos again,” Sonomi

 teased, smiling at her lavender haired daughter. Tomoyo looked paler

 than usual this morning for some reason. Her stormy blue eyes looked

 distant, their normal sparkle gone. The head of the Daidouji

 household gasped when she saw the bandage around Tomoyo’s right hand

 and left wrist. “Oh, Tomoyo-chan! What happened?” Bolting up, the

 normally overcautious mother hurried to her daughter’s side. Patches

 of red shown through the bandages covering her daughter’s delicate

 hand. Tomoyo was still a little shorter than Sonomi but it took all

 of the older woman’s self-restraint not to kneel down as she had when

 Tomoyo had been a little girl. 

 	Tomoyo smiled softly, but the smile didn’t meet her eyes. The dark,

 stormy eyes looked dead, their depths dark and unyielding. Part of

 that frightened Sonomi. Her daughter hid so much but she had always

 managed to see past her masks and into those very emotional blue

 eyes. They were the same as Sonomi’s own eyes, part of the reason she

 suspected that she could see through to her daughter’s true feelings.

 But this time it was as if there was nothing behind them or as if

 they were completely cut off to her. “It’s all right, okaa-sama. I

 just hurt myself last night. I was trying to clean up some glass

 after I accidentally knocked over a picture frame in my room. I

 shouldn’t stay up so late watching my Sakura-chan videos. I get so

 tired that I have a hard time concentrating.” 

 	Inspecting the hand, Sonomi bit her lower lip. There was something

 about all of this that worried her, but she couldn’t quite put her

 finger on it. Sighing, she let go of Tomoyo’s injured hand at last.

 Her fingers brushed back some of Tomoyo’s lavender hair. “All right,

 but I want you to go see a doctor about that later. I don’t want

 anything bad to happen to your lovely hand because of some glass.”

 	Nodding in agreement, Tomoyo held the letter in her other hand

 tighter. “Hai, okaa-sama. I’ll go to the doctor later today then.” 

 	Sonomi watched with growing unease as Tomoyo walked out to the

 mailbox with the strange letter held tightly in her other hand. It

 didn’t seem like Tomoyo to be so out of it. Her eyes usually had a

 beautiful sparkle in them, her beautiful smile an entrancing quality

 to it. Just what had happened to her little girl? 

 	Tomoyo stood in front of the mailbox with the letter half in. Her

 pale fingers refused to let go of the letter they held. Her heart

 argued painfully against her still unsure mind. This was it. This was

 the last contact she and Sakura would ever share. After this, she

 would be all alone. Forever. “Goodbye, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo

 whispered. Her heart screamed out in agony as the letter fell in.

 Closing her eyes, the dark haired heiress held herself tightly. Her

 body shook lightly as she stood there. The midmorning sun should have

 felt refreshing, but her body felt like it was encased in ice. She

 had to wonder if she had done the right thing. As long as Sakura was

 happy, it wouldn’t matter. Arms wrapped around her cold body gently,

 pulling her tightly into a hug. “Okaa-sama...?” she asked weakly. It

 wasn’t until she felt Sonomi’s fingers brushing away her tears that

 she realized she was crying again. “Mother..!” She grabbed onto

 Sonomi with all of her strength, breaking down in tears in the

 embrace of her mother. 

 Sonomi held Tomoyo, whispering soothingly as she patted the younger

 woman’s back. “Oh, my baby girl... My poor baby girl,” the

 heartbroken mother whispered. She held Tomoyo’s head on her shoulder,

 closing her eyes as she continued to rub the lavender haired girl’s

 back. Tomoyo’s body shook against her as her daughter was wracked

 with sobs. ‘Oh, Nadeshiko-chan... This can’t be how things have to

 turn out. This can’t be. Why my baby girl? Please... Please give me

 an answer, Nadeshiko-chan...’